Galatians

Purpose of Galatians

Problem ● Galatians are deserting God and listening to a distorted gospel
● False teachers telling Galatians faith wasn’t enough;
needed faith + the law to be righteous
● Galatians (Gentiles) needed to obey law like Jews
(circumcision)

Main Points ● Justification by Faith Alone
● Freedom in Christ
● Life in the Spirit

Justification
pronounced just or righteous–free from guilt, and therefore from punishment–in the sight of God

44 - 46 AD
Acts 13 & 14

The Jerusalem Council was a pivotal meeting in early Christianity where the apostles and elders decided that Gentile converts did not need to follow most
Jewish laws, including circumcision, to be part of the faith, emphasizing that salvation is through faith in Christ alone, not adherence to the Mosaic Law.

Jensen’s Survey of the New Testament

There is No Other Gospel!
- Why should he who preaches a different gospel
Read 1:1-10
be accursed?
- Focus: not from men nor through man, but - He is not preaching the truth
- THERE IS NO OTHER GOSPEL
through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who
- He is preaching to please man (1:10)
raised him from the dead - He does not seek the approval of God

2 Timothy 4:3

For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths

- Paul desperately wants Galatians to return to the
true gospel
- 1 Cor. 2:2; Gal. 6:14

Chapters 1 & 2 - Defense of the Gospel: “Not Man’s Gospel”
Paul’s Credentials Paul’s Credentials

1. Called by God (1:11-24) 2. Accepted by Apostles (2:1-10) a. Extremely zealous for traditions of fathers a. Returns to Jerusalem after 14 years b. Set apart before he was born, called by grace i. Revelation; ensure not running in vain c. Pleased God to reveal His son to Paul b. Resisted those trying to bring Paul, Barnabus, i. Receives Gospel through a revelation of Jesus and Titus into slavery (spiritually) i. Resisted to preserve truth of the Gospel
Christ for Galatians
1. Unveiling; uncovering; disclosure c. Paul’s calling: entrusted with Gospel to d. Did not consult with any MAN - went to Arabia uncircumcised e. Visited Peter 3 years later d. Peter, James, John acknowledge Paul’s grace e. Released by Apostles to preach to Gentiles
Why focus on credentials? Why rebuke Peter openly? (2:11-14)

The gospel that was preached was not man’s gospel - Peter, pillar in church, acting not in step with the truth of the Gospel (2:14)
Galatians are not rejecting Paul - Introduces main point: Justification by Faith
- Peter = example of very thing Paul is opposing
Galatians are rejecting God! *Peter changes by Acts 15 (Jerusalem Council)

Jews Are Not Sinners? But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we too were found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin?
(2:17)
Read 2:15-21
● Paul anticipates misunderstanding of Gospel of
We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile grace
sinners (2:15) ● Does Christ promote sin by justifying sinners?
● Does grace encourage immorality? (Rom. 6:1-4)
● “sinners” = depraved, deplorable
● Jewish shorthand for those outside Certainly not! (2:17) covenant
Die to the law so that you can live to God (2:19,20)
● Jews thought they were morally superior
● Irony on Paul’s part - The Law was torn down through Christ
○ Jews are self-righteous legalist but they - Don’t return to the Law for salvation think of Gentiles as sinful outcasts - See the value in Christ’s death (2:21)
○ Paul = “chief of sinners” (1 Tim. 1:15)

Central Verse Galatians 2:16 Yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus 1x
Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ 2x and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified. 3x

● Salvation cannot be earned; it comes only through faith in Jesus Christ

Same deception today. Same truth applies.

Fools! - 2 Corinthians 11:3,4 (NLT)

O foolish Galatians! (3:1)
But I fear that somehow your pure and
- “foolish” - a failure to understand / apply
spiritual truths undivided devotion to Christ will be
- OT Prophets called Israel foolish for corrupted, just as Eve was deceived by the turning away from God cunning ways of the serpent. You happily put
Who has bewitched you? (3:1) up with whatever anyone tells you, even if they preach a different Jesus than the one we
- “bewitched” - spiritual deception / preach, or a different kind of Spirit than the manipulation; overpower; fascinate; to one you received, or a different kind of gospel give the evil eye to; under a spell than the one you believed.
- Galatians enticed by a distorted gospel

Paul’s Rapid Fire Questions (3:1-6)
Who has bewitched you?
● Foolish Galatians, wake up! You’ve
Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or
been lied to.
by hearing with faith?
● You don’t receive the Spirit by works.
Are you so foolish? ● You’re not sons of Abraham because
Having begun by the Spirit, are you now you follow the law being perfected by the flesh?
You’re sons of Abraham by FAITH! (3:7,9)
Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and
works miracles among you do so by works of the
law, or by hearing with faith?

Under a Curse! (3:10-14)

Law brings about a curse (3:10) How does the righteous live?

Must abide by and do ALL the Law By Faith! (3:11)
But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin (3:22) But the law is not of faith (3:12)
Enclose; shut in; we cannot escape sin ● Law does not require faith / belief
Now before faith came, we were held captive under the ● Law based on earning rather than trusting law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be ● Law focuses on duties, not promises revealed (3:23) ● Law sets boundaries for me

Rom. 4:15 - the law brings wrath How do we get free from this curse?

Jas 2:10 - break one law, guilty of breaking all Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us (3:13) Deut. 27:26 - cursed who does not put ALL into practice

No FREEDOM in the Law

Chapters 3 & 4 - Explanation of the Gospel: The Righteous Live by Faith

Galatians 3:15-22 The Law

Covenant 101 1) Dealt with sins, not with holiness 2) Temporary, short-lived ● Once a covenant is confirmed, it cannot be 3) Given indirectly through angels and Moses made void or altered; cannot add to it 4) Conditional; depends → flawed actions of man ● Covenant made with Abraham (Gen. 12, 15, 17)
● Abraham’s offspring = Christ! What was the law’s purpose?

Law came 430 years after promise to Abraham - To make sins known (Rom. 7:7,10,11; Heb. 10:1-4)
- To impose a penalty to keep sins in check
Law cannot annul the promise!!!
(limitations)
It is not faith plus works = righteousness - To be a guardian of promise until Christ came
- To make us aware our our need for Christ
Inheritance does not come by the law!!!

Why the Law? Galatians 3:19,20 (Amplified)
Why, then, the Law [what was its purpose]? It was added [after the promise to Abraham, to reveal to people their guilt] because of transgressions [that is, to make people conscious of the sinfulness of sin], and [the Law] was ordained through angels and delivered to Israel by the hand of a mediator [Moses, the mediator between God and Israel, to be in effect] until the Seed would come to whom the promise had been made.

Now the mediator or go-between [in a transaction] is not [needed] for just one party;
whereas God is only one [and was the only One giving the promise to Abraham, but the
Law was a contract between two, God and Israel; its validity depended on both].

Law as Guardian
Read Galatians 3:23-29 https://biblehub.com/amp/galatians/3.htm

The law was our guardian until Christ came

● Guardian = tutor; custodian; responsible for child’s moral development; often was a slave; temporary measure (Law as police)
● Design: Law hands over its student to the guardianship of Christ

We are no longer under a guardian!!! (3:25)

And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise (3:29)

*Stay tuned for next class: Inheritance, Freedom, Spirit

See you next class!
Next Class: Saturday, June 20, 9:00-10:15am

- Same Zoom link

Homework: Read Galatians, especially Chapters 4-6

- Come ready to receive your freedom in Christ!